Imperial German Army
The Imperial German Army is an army featured in Warfare 1917. Their campaign is only available when playing on Armor Games. Description Known for their hardy infantry and Sturmtruppen the German Army of 1917 were a fierce fighting force. Taking a defensive stance on lands that they had gained through occupation, the German Army's strategy was much more suited to trench warfare. History The Imperial German Army was formed on 1871 as a successor to the Federal Army of the German Confederation and North German Confederation, and was formed simultaneously with Imperial Germany. It was dissolved in 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and it was replaced with the Reichswehr, the self-defense force of the Weimar Republic, which was in turn succeeded by the Wehrmacht. Prior to World War I, the Imperial German Army consisted of the armies of the kingdoms of Bavaria, Saxony and Württemberg, which remained semi-autonomous, while the armies of the other states in the Empire fell under the control of the Prussian Army. Uniform The Germans wear the M-1915 'Bluse', the last uniform type issued during WW1 by the Germans, in gray along with Stahlhelm helmets. Weapons 'Luger P08' First adopted in 1908 by the German Army, the Luger is one of the best known handguns of the 20th century. A popular war trophy amongst Allied troops during World War 2, they remain collector's items to this day. The standard issue sidearm of the German Army in both World Wars, it is primarily used by Officers. 'Gewehr 98' Adopted in 1898, the year of its manufacture, as the standard infantry rifle of the German Army, the Gewehr 98 was the latest in the long line of Mauser rifles. This rifle was the first to use the M98 controlled-feed bolt-action, which inspired many other bolt-action rifles of the 20th century. It was replaced in 1935 by the Karabiner 98k, a shorter variant. Used by all infantry units except the Officer. 'MG08/15' A lightened version of the MG08 heavy machine gun, which was also mounted on tanks, development on the MG08/15 began in 1915 and it would first see combat in 1917. It remained somewhat cumbersome, but was still highly effective in combat, so much so that it became the most commonly deployed machine gun in the German Army. Used only by Machine Gun Teams. 'Stielhandgranate' The Stielhandgranate was the standard hand grenade used from the beginning of World War I until the end of World War II by the Germans. Its appearance earned it the nicknames "stick grenade" and "potato masher", and it has become one of the most recognizable infantry weapons of the 20th century. Only used by Sturmtruppen. 'A7V' Introduced in 1918, and nicknamed The Moving Fortress by the British, the A7V was the only German tank to see service in World War 1. It was equipped with a front-mounted 57mm gun and 6 MG08 machine guns, but despite its nickname, it had poor armor, as it was made of unhardened steel plate. Only 21 were ever built, and all were destroyed or captured by the end of the war. 'Artillery' Typically moved by draft horses, artillery pieces provided crucial support to the infantry. The Germans used a large variety of pieces, including the 7.7cm FK16, a modification of a pre-war gun intended to increase range, the 10cm K17, intended as an anti-aircraft gun but wound up excelling as a counter-battery gun, and the 15cm sFH 13, relatively mobile and were capable of delivering very heavy firepower. 'Mortar' Light man-portable artillery pieces, mortars provide close support to the infantry. The Germans used several types, including the 9.15 cm leichtes Minenwerfer System Lanz, the 17 cm mittlerer Minenwerfer and the 25 cm schwerer Minenwerfer. 'Chemical Weapons' The Germans used tear gas, xylyl bromide, chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas, among others. Units 'Riflemen' A 5-man squad equipped with bolt-action rifles. Effective against other infantry, but are vulnerable to nearly everything. 'Sturmtruppen' A 4-man squad specialized in clearing trenches. They use rush tactics and are equipped with bolt-action rifles and grenades. 'Machine Gun Team' A 3-man team equipped with bolt-action rifles and a light machine gun. They are highly effective against infantry when entrenched, and are the only infantry in the game with an automatic weapon. 'Sniper' A skilled sharpshooter equipped with a bolt-action rifle. They are strong against infantry at long range and are highly accurate. 'Officer' An officer that provides a damage bonus to surrounding troops. He only carries a semi-automatic pistol, making him a poor choice for combat, and morale drops sharply if he is killed. 'Tank' An armored vehicle equipped with a 57mm main gun and 6 7.62mm machine guns that is invulnerable to all infantry (except Assault Team grenades), but is vulnerable to fire support. Category:Armies